Safeties in demand at NFL draft as offenses spread out

Just a couple years ago, the future didn't look bright for safeties in the NFL. Teams opted to invest big money and high draft picks at positions they deemed more important.

That trend appears to be in the middle of a U-turn.

Only two safeties were taken in the first two rounds of the 2011 and 2012 drafts, but six went in the first two rounds in 2013. The 2014 class of safeties isn't deep, according to scouts, but another half-dozen or so are expected to be selected in Rounds 1 and 2.

The change is a reaction to the proliferation of spread formations in the NFL. A team still can't have enough quality cornerbacks, but safeties with the ability to cover, as well as play the run, help immensely.

Suddenly, elite safeties such as Seattle's Earl Thomas and the Saints' Jairus Byrd are making an average of $9 million to $10 million a year.

"That tells you that it's changed," Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. "Those guys are game-changing players now.

"The emergence of tight ends and backs as mismatches in the passing game, you have to have a more versatile player there."

The Cardinals don't have a safety like that — few teams do — and they are expected to try to draft one this week.

Yeremiah Bell, who started at strong safety a year ago, has not re-signed and might retire. Tyrann Mathieu, the starting free safety, is coming off a severe knee injury. At 5 feet 9 and 186 pounds, Mathieu has the skill to cover wide receivers but not the size to deal with tight ends.

In nickel situations, he's played in the slot. Thomas, in contrast, is playing "single-high," roaming deep in the middle of the field.

With Rashad Johnson, Tony Jefferson and Curtis Taylor, the Cardinals have enough depth that they could survive without drafting a safety, but that wouldn't be an ideal scenario.

Defending tight ends was the Cardinals' greatest defensive weakness in 2013. Of the 29 touchdown passes the Cardinals yielded, tight ends caught 15. Four opposing tight ends scored twice in games, and three of them had more than 100 yards receiving.

Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles doesn't place all the blame on his safeties. The Saints' Jimmy Graham, for instance, beat nearly everyone in the Cardinals secondary to catch nine passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Bowles also blames himself for not putting his players in better position.

But there is also no doubt that safety is a position the Cardinals needed to address this off-season, and they haven't yet.

"I would say at the top there are four to five really good ones," General Manager Steve Keim said, referring to this draft, "and then you get into a range where there are guys who may potentially be starters down the road, more developmental players."

With the 20th overall selection, the Cardinals could have their pick of the best safeties: Louisville's Calvin Pryor, Alabama's Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Northern Illinois' Jimmie Ward, Washington State's Deone Bucannon and Florida State's Lemarcus Joyner.

Bucannon, Joyner and perhaps Ward could be available to the Cardinals in the second round.

"There are a lot of intriguing middle-round defensive backs with versatility who can also help on specials teams," said Todd McShay, a draft analyst for ESPN.

Brock Vereen from the University of Minnesota fits that mold. "One of the most underrated players in the draft," McShay said.